South San Francisco-based Rigel Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RIGL]]) said today it that it will take over development of an experimental asthma drug, R343, after its partner, New York-based Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), decided to stop developing allergy and respiratory drugs. The treatment, an inhalable small molecule designed to inhibit a protein called syk, was licensed from Rigel to Pfizer in 2005. Pfizer has since completed Phase 1 clinical trials, and now that Rigel has regained the rights, it said it plans to design a mid-stage trial later this year.
Author: Luke Timmerman
Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.
View all posts by Luke Timmerman
